How to Verify a Solar Company Before You Sign (Florida License & Reputation Check)

Half of avoiding a bad solar deal is avoiding a bad solar company. Here is the 15-minute background check — license, insurance, reviews, and corporate history — every Florida homeowner should run before signing.

The equipment on your roof matters, but the company that installs it and backs the workmanship warranty matters just as much. A 25-year warranty is worthless if the installer dissolves in year 4 — and Florida has no shortage of solar outfits that appear, pressure-sell a neighborhood, and vanish. Before you sign, run this 15-minute background check.

1. Verify the contractor license (Florida CILB)

Solar installation in Florida requires a properly licensed contractor — typically a Certified Electrical Contractor (EC) or a Certified Solar Contractor (CVC), and the work must be permitted and inspected. Verify the license at the Florida DBPR license lookup (myfloridalicense.com):

  • Confirm the license number on your proposal matches the company actually doing the work — not a "borrowed" license from a subcontractor.
  • Check the license is active, not expired or suspended.
  • Note how long the license has been held. A license issued three months ago is a yellow flag for a company promising 25-year support.

Many door-to-door "solar companies" are actually sales/dealer organizations that subcontract the install. That is not automatically bad, but you want to know who holds the license, who pulls the permit, and who you call in year 6 when a panel fails.

2. Confirm insurance and bonding

Ask for proof of:

  • General liability insurance (protects you if they damage your home).
  • Workers'' compensation (protects you if a worker is injured on your roof — without it, you can be exposed).

A legitimate company provides certificates without hesitation.

3. Check the corporate history

Search the company name on Sunbiz.org (Florida Division of Corporations):

  • How long has the legal entity existed?
  • Has it been dissolved and re-registered under a new name? (A pattern of dissolving and reopening is how some operators shed warranty obligations and bad reviews.)
  • Does the name on the contract match the registered entity?

4. Read reviews the right way

  • Look at Google, BBB, and the Florida AG complaint trends — not just the star average, but the content of 1–3 star reviews. Patterns matter: repeated mentions of "stopped responding after install," "permit took months," or "system underproducing" are louder signals than the overall rating.
  • Be skeptical of a wall of identical 5-star reviews posted in a short window.
  • Search "[company name] + lawsuit" and "[company name] + complaint."

5. Pressure-test the warranty backing

Ask: "Is your workmanship warranty backed by a third-party warranty insurer, or is it just the company''s promise?" An insurer-backed warranty survives the company going out of business. A self-backed one does not. This single question separates durable operators from fly-by-night ones.

Red flags that should stop you

  • The license number does not match the company, or they will not provide it.
  • The entity was registered in the last few months but claims years of experience.
  • Reviews show a pattern of post-install ghosting.
  • They refuse to provide insurance certificates.
  • The hard sell intensifies the moment you ask any of these questions.

The 15-minute checklist

  1. License active + matches proposal (myfloridalicense.com) ✓
  2. General liability + workers'' comp certificates ✓
  3. Entity age + history (Sunbiz.org) ✓
  4. Review content (not just stars) + lawsuit/complaint search ✓
  5. Workmanship warranty insurer-backed? ✓

FAQ

Do I need to use a local installer? Not necessarily, but you need one who is licensed in Florida, pulls the permit under that license, and will realistically still exist to service the system. Local + established is a safer bet for long-term support.

The salesperson''s company is different from the installer''s name. Is that bad? Common in the dealer model. Not automatically bad — but verify which entity holds the license, pulls the permit, and owns the workmanship warranty, and make sure that entity is the one named in your contract.

What if I already signed and now have doubts? Florida contracts typically include a cancellation window. Check your contract for the rescission period and act quickly if the background check raises real concerns.

Want a second opinion on both the company and the quote before you commit? Send me the proposal and the installer name — I will run the check and break down the numbers for free.